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Management Trainees: The Road Ahead

A year later, our time as Management Trainees has come to an end and it is safe to say that there are exciting times ahead for all of us. This year has been an incredible journey for us, where we the past twelve months have worked across so many different units within Visma and met countless of inspiring and competent people, as we progressed during the trainee program. With gained experience within strategic, technical, operational and personal fields, we hope we will be able to contribute even more in our future roles to come. This post will present the various roles we have been offered to continue to pursue our careers.

Edda Davidsdottir, Denmark

Title: Business Controller

Location: Oslo

Business Unit: Finance team of the SMB division

Description: As a Business Controller on a divisional level, I will be collaborating with all the business units in the SMB division, across 8 different countries. I will be focusing on business intelligence, automated reporting and enhancing data driven decision making throughout the whole division. That includes analysing the performance of the division, budgeting and monthly closing, as well as onboarding the finance teams of the newly acquired companies. A hybrid role that will strengthen my technical, financial and analytical competencies.

What I look forward to the most:I am very excited to start my new position. I look forward to getting settled in Oslo and getting to know my new team in Oslo, as well as the teams in the other countries. Building on my experience within analytics and finance, understanding the needs of the business units and helping them becoming more data driven. A challenging role a head and I couldn’t be more ready for it.

Key takeaway from the trainee year: The trainee year has been an amazing journey and I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my career. The past year has been packed with new learnings, challenges and great experiences. The key takeaways for me are to show interest and be open to new areas and ideas, seize opportunities and think positive.

Brian Ye, Sweden

Title: Data Analyst

Location: Stockholm

Business Unit: Visma Enterprise AB

Description:

The role has two parts:

Ownership of all databases at the business unit and drive the business unit’s challenges within business intelligence for all departments (sales, marketing, finance, support, etc). I will partly be able to work with improving the business unit’s databases and have ownership of Tableau, partly create intuitive decision-making tools for the whole business.

Program Manager, meaning being the one reporting to the management group regarding progress of projects regarding the BU’s internal systems. This ownership will create a solid foundation for my main task, to transform Enterprise AB into becoming more data-driven.

What I look forward to the most: To be able to utilize my technical mindset and skillset in order to solve business critical challenges, as well as to help Enterprise AB in the journey of a digital transformation – everything from helping different departments understanding their customers as well as making business processes more efficient.

Key takeaway from the trainee year: Visma’s Management Trainee program gives you, as a newly graduated university student, a solid foundation in learning how different units function, the endless of possibilities one can work with, and a way of materialising the visions and ambitions you have.

Stina Wahlsten, Finland

Title: Business Improvement Manager

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Business Unit: Visma Enterprise Oy

Description: As a Business Improvement Manager I will work with strategic projects to improve areas within Enterprise Oy’s strategic goals. I will be focusing on projects relating to customer success, M&As and developing a strategy for continuous improvement including establishing and continuously developing methods, frameworks and tools. My work will be quite similar to the work as a management trainee in the sense that I will continue doing strategically important project work for the management group, with the difference of more comprehensive projects that I will be able to continuously follow up on to a degree that I haven’t been able to as a management trainee.

What I look forward to the most: I don’t think I can boil down my expectations to one single point, perhaps I can limit myself to a top three. First, I will be reporting to the MD of Enterprise Oy, and I am looking forward to a steep learning curve. Second, I look forward to taking on even more responsibility and grow more and more confident in my project management skills, as well as my analytical skills and ability to quickly grasp complex relations. Finally, I look forward to the exciting projects to come, and being able to create enthusiasm and collaborative environments around them.

Key takeaway from the trainee year: This past year has been one of the most eventful years of my life, and I am so happy that I got to launch my career in such an exciting way. I have lived in four countries, met countless new people and learned a lot from the challenges and victories on the way. If I had to summarise my year into one key takeaway it would be to have the courage to go for it, whatever it might be. Being a go-getter with a curious mind and a positive attitude will get you very far, especially here at Visma.

Maria Didner, Sweden

Title: Digital Success Manager

Location: Stockholm

Business Unit: Enterprise Division

Description: As the Digital Success Manager I will work with strategic projects to improve areas within the customer journey, digital marketing and customer success. It is an international role, where I will have the opportunity to work with the different business units within the Enterprise Division. I will become a part of Visma’s Customer Success team, who overall focuses on helping our customers reach their full potential and improve their experience of Visma. One of my focus area will be to analyze customer data to figure out how we can improve our solutions.

What I look forward to the most: I look forward to a lot of things regarding my new role. I am very excited to gain new insight and learn more about the interesting area of customer success. Getting to know the Customer Success team and to work in teams with the other business units to create business value for Visma. Furthermore, I am excited to be part of the digital transformation of Visma.

Key takeaway from the trainee year: This year has been truly amazing and I have had the opportunity to work with so many talented colleagues. Visma is a large company and as a trainee I have received a great insight in the different business units and gain a lot of knowledge of Visma’s all products and solutions, which will be beneficial in my future career within Visma.

Magnus Berg, Norway

Title: Business Development Manager

Location: Oslo

Business Unit: Visma Commerce Solutions Division

Description: Visma Commerce Solutions Division was newly carved out from the Visma Software SMB (Small and Medium Businesses) as a separate division. In this division I will be responsible for two main areas:

Developing the “Visma Finance” concept: I will be the main responsible, and the “go to” person, within one of Visma’s new and prioritized focus areas; financial services. I am expected to further develop business models, hereunder governance structures, and developing business case rationales and business plans. The Visma Finance concept will be rolled out to all core SMB markets. As such, one of my core responsibilities is to establish a business model that is incentivizing a close and well functioning intercompany collaboration.

Purchased debts: In addition to the above mentioned, I will also be working with another new venture in Visma; purchased debts. Here I will research debt purchase prospects, evaluate sources and information, and construct relevant offers.

What I look forward to the most: I think I look most forward to to all the different aspects of the job, and the responsibilities this entails. In the new division we will only be four employees on division level, making my role very important in the business development processes. I’m looking forward to working with highly competent individuals and to fully start my Visma journey.

Key takeaway from the trainee year: In Visma you can come a long way through being a creative, curious and hardworking go-getter. I am very pleased with my year as a Management Trainee in Visma. I have worked in three different countries, in five different Visma companies, with five different project owners – I could not have asked for a better start on my career.

Louise Lindberg, Sweden

Title: Strategic Initiatives Manager

Location: Stockholm

Business Unit: Labs AB, Enterprise Division

Description: I will start working in Visma’s product development department, delivering products to the larger end-customers. My role is an international role where my colleagues are located in at least 9 countries, meaning a bit of travel. I will work as a project leader with strategic projects related to product development. Initially, this implies the following:

Integration of a large acquired Dutch company

Nearshoring of a development office

Initializing data collection of customer usage and behaviour within our products, establish how to analyze the data and how to use it to make decision on further product development.

What I look forward to the most: Except for getting to know my new colleagues better, I look forward to the ability of witnessing the results of a recommendation or implementation I have conducted. It is satisfying to see a project succeed or being able to correct the things that do not turn out as planned. Hence, it will imply lots of responsibility, which I am excited about!

Key takeaway from the trainee year: I am grateful for all the new colleagues I have gotten to know throughout the year, both as new friends and on a professional level. In addition, we have all improved our Scandinavian language skill which will be useful in the future. In Visma, it is not necessary to “over-do” things since the conditions and dependencies will soon be changed because of a new acquisition, tool or product to develop. This flexibility makes it fun for us employees and it is safe to say that new opportunities appear constantly.

Ben Weber, Finland

Title: Business Improvement Manager

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Business Unit: Visma Software Oy

Description: My main responsibilities will consist of running various business development projects based on the management groups growth strategy. This includes identifying areas where we can develop further in order to boost short term revenue generation and implement activities to ensure long term profitable growth. I will be part of everything from product portfolio analysis and customer journey mapping, to working on an internal data governance model that enables us to do predictive analysis surrounding our customers.

What I look forward to the most: I look forward to learn and develop further in a well functioning Visma Business Unit that repeatedly delivers great products and results. Ultimately, I see the role as a natural continuum from our management trainee year with much of the same elements, but more complex and demanding projects. Exciting!

Key takeaway from the trainee year:

The management trainee year and its projects have given me the opportunity to work with incredibly bright people and thus, provided me with an impeccable toolbox to take with me to my future endeavours. It has not always been stress free nor within my comfort zone, but it has been unimaginably rewarding!

Signe Rustøen, Norway

Title: Pricing Manager

Location: Oslo, Norway

Business Unit: SMB Division

Description: As pricing manager, I will be responsible for analyzing, monitoring and investigating strategic pricing opportunities for Visma’s products in the SMB segment. This involves evaluating existing pricing of products and services and giving recommendations for optimization of these, as well as benchmarking, monitoring, understanding and analyzing pricing models of competition, global leaders and high growth companies. The SMB division consists of around 30 different business units operating in eight different countries, all selling different products, and this role will thus require a lot of collaboration with, and learning from, the different local markets.

What I look forward to the most: As Pricing Manager I will be part of the new small strategy team in the SMB division, and I look forward to getting to know my new teammates better. In addition, I look forward to having my own area of responsibility, to getting intrinsic insight into the SMB division and the different products that we sell, as well as to getting to know and work with people from all the different business units in the division.

Key takeaway from the trainee year: Visma as a whole consists of so many different units, operates in so many different areas, and does so many different things that there will always be endless variations of opportunities within the company. The company’s rapid growth and ever-changing structure ensures that if you are eager, ambitious and talented you can end up almost anywhere you wish in the organization.

Steinar Bækkedal, Norway

Title: Group Controller

Location: Oslo, Norway

Business Unit: Visma AS

Description: I will be a part of the Corporate Finance team, currently consisting only of the CFO and the Senior Group Controller. The position will have a focus on financial control, budgeting and planning and analysis on group figures. I will be expected to contribute to the profitability of the company through continuously improving the finance function of the Visma Group. This includes consolidating monthly figures from all 120+ legal units in the company, consolidating budgets, handle tax reports, improving reporting routines, provide information and analysis for CFO/CEO/Board of Directors, and a whole lot more that I have yet to discover.

What I look forward to the most: I look forward to being a part of the small but very well functioning Corporate Finance team and learn from their years of experience. I also really appreciate getting the birds-eye view of the group, and understanding how Visma is developing as a whole rather than for a single legal unit.

Key takeaway from the trainee year: During the trainee program, you will be challenged and you will be given responsibilities that may be frightening given you just graduated. However, when you dig down in the project and realise you have several stakeholders eager to contribute and make this a great project for you, things usually turn out great! And there are few things better than achieving success where you feared failure.

We are very excited to start our new roles in the fall, and to welcoming the next year’s management trainees. Do you want to know how everything started? Click here, to read about who we are and what our first projects were about.

Do you want to become the next Management Trainee at Visma? Click here and choose your country to read more about the program.

Edda is a Management Trainee at Visma. She has a Master’s degree in Economics and Finance from Copenhagen Business School, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Reykjavik University.